


Day 12, Monday: Azaghâl

by Earthshine



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, Headcanon, Khazâd October, character exploration, character musings, color-blindness, confused elf, exploratory fiction, in which maedhros is (mildly) obnoxious, in which maglor's world broadens, protanopia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 02:10:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5316353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Earthshine/pseuds/Earthshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Khazâd October Entry for Azaghâl. </p>
<p>On the shores of Lake Helevorn  Maglor and Azaghâl meet for the first time, and Maglor finds out something about the dwarf that he never knew a possibility.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Day 12, Monday: Azaghâl

**Author's Note:**

> This is entertaining a headcanon that started out as a joke between my fiance and myself on how a high-elf from Valinor might react to certain non-typical physical conditions such as colorblindness, and it just sort of went wild. So in this short fic Azaghâl has protanopia (red-green colorblindness), a condition I imagine an elf from Valinor would have absolutely NO information on what-so-ever (considering Tolkien's canon is that elves are made "perfect" 100% of the time, something of which bugs me but for the sake of canon and this fic we'll go with it). 
> 
> Enjoy! Reviews or critiques (and corrections) are always welcomed and enjoyed.
> 
> Also... very very VERY slightly shippy with Maglor and Azaghâl, because I am a big sucker for dwarf/elf pairings. If that bothers you it's so insanely subtle you can literally just ignore it.

“Maglor, meet Azaghâl, lord of Belegost,” Maedhros introduced the broad dwarf to his slender brother. “Our new ally and someone I am proud to call friend.”

Maglor offered the dwarf a reverent bow, a gesture that seemed universally accepted as respectful during introductions and smiled softly at him. “You will forgive me if I am unused to dealing with your kind,” he paused then as if to ponder something known only to him and then spoke again, his voice deep and fluid. “However I would be most pleased if I could become used to your kind, for word of dwarf bravery and might was known even in Eldamar.”

Azaghâl returned the bow, his movements slow and steady done with purpose and intent. He did not smile at Maglor, but he by no means was unhappy. “So long as your kind does no evil to mine, then forever shall we be allied,” said Azaghâl his voice wakeless and steady, a droll expression on his tanned face that told nothing of what he was feeling.

“Then we should be allied for millennia to come!” Maglor said and Maedhros nodded in affirmation.

“Let us hope,” said Azaghâl with finality. “I am pleased to meet the brother of my friend, you share his nose,” he added to which Maglor looked upon his brother and then laughed.

“We share our father's nose, no one has taken the time to notice,” remarked Maglor with some fascination for the dwarf, and his brother leaned in close to him and whispered softly that Azaghâl was very observant and would probably be making such comments for the rest of the week while Maglor was visiting.

Eventually (once all formalities and business was officially through) Maedhros excused himself from the company of his brother and the dwarf lord and they both decided that a walk along the shore of Lake Helevorn was preferred over Maedhros's tent of which Maglor felt was too small for three.

While they walked together along the waterline, the rocky shore being lapped gently by glittering waves, Azaghâl recounted tales of dwarvish valor which Maglor listened to intently. It was only when the sun glided behind the towering Mt. Rerir and the surrounding smaller mossy mountains that they noticed how long they had spent in each other's company amid a scarlet and orange sunset.

“I am glad to see such glory,” Maglor remarked faintly as he faced the East, golden light bathing his face and his eyes reflected over a thousand years of guilt and grief, though his companion could not see them.

Azaghâl also looked upon the sunset but he was not filled with wonder or awe at the vibrant display, but seeing Maglor entranced by the clouds in the distance he could not bring himself to force the elf to part from it just yet. Instead he stepped closer to the taller soul and waited a moment before his Broadbeam brogue interrupted the silence. “Could you describe it to me, elf?”

Maglor looked down to Azaghâl with a bewildered expression. “The sunset?” he asked for clarification and when the dwarf-lord nodded he turned back to the orange haze. “It is brilliant; like trees in Autumn before the chill of winter sets in, like candlelight on gold and rubies, like smokeless fire raging in the heavens,” explained Maglor endearingly. He then added, “Surely you can see such a wonder, my friend,” and Azaghâl slowly sighed.

“Aye, I can. But not in the same way you can,” Maglor looked confused in response to Azaghâl's revelation and the dwarf clarified, somewhat bashful. “I have a bit of trouble telling the difference between some colors, you see.”

“Truly?” Maglor said intrigued. “I have never heard of such a thing, what does the sunset look to you then?”

“Mostly green and yellow with some gray, still beautiful but not the same as what others tell me,” Azaghâl paused and then added with a true smile, “Your brother's hair looks green to me, the brightest green I've ever seen on anyone, though I've been told it's brighter than any ruby.”

Maglor nodded, perplexed and fascinated at the same time. “How different your world must be, and how difficult it must be for a dwarf!” he exclaimed. “For how can you tell the difference between gems?”

The dwarf shrugged his massive shoulders, “Oh, I have help every now and then. It really is not so bad,” Azaghâl smiled. “Though, I can see some colors just fine,” he added in reassurance. “Yellows, blues and black I have no problems seeing, white too. I only seem to have trouble seeing colors that are 'red' or 'orange' and they always appear green or gray to me, depending on how bright or dark they are. Greens can be hard to distinguish as well.”

The elf pondered what Azaghâl had revealed to him and tried to imagine a world where he could not see the red of a rose or the orange of a poppy and he truly felt distressed by the prospect.

“Are you well, lad?” Azaghâl asked Maglor and the elf's attention passed back to the dwarf out of his morose speculations.

“I am well, you will forgive me if I am so,” Maglor stopped to search for the right word. “You will forgive me if I am so mesmerized by the concept.”

Azaghâl nodded to him, “Oh, aye I forgive you. You're taking to this much better than your brother actually.”

“How did he react?” asked Maglor, the brilliant sunset now a soft blushing pink.

“He kept pointing at various objects and asked what color they were, he thought I was trying to have a laugh at him!” Maglor's eyes widened and after a brief moment of complete shock he started laughing, and Azaghâl joined him.

“He would do that,” the elf admitted knowing his brother well. “Truly though, my brother's hair looks green?”

Azaghâl nodded,“Aye.”

Together they laughed again and told yet more stories on the shore and only returned to the small camp when the sky was black and blue, stars shining above them and below them in the lake.

**Author's Note:**

> In my headcanon of Middle Earth the sun will ALWAYS rise in the West and set in East, apparently the sun originally started out rising in the West but then shifted when the Valar decided otherwise. So no, I was not making a geographical error with having the sun set behind Mt. Rerir from their position by the lake, it was intentional.


End file.
